Case Number 25568: Small Claims Court

FAMILY TIES: THE SIXTH SEASON

The Charge

A liberal dose of family.

The Case

Six years have flown by and the Keatons are still going strong under one
roof! Liberal ex-flower children Steven Keaton (Michael Gross, Tremors)
and his wife Elyse (Meredith Baxter-Birney, All The President's Men) are
trying to raise their kids right, even when their values don't always line up,
especially when it comes to uber-Republican Alex (Michael J. Fox, Back to the
Future), shopaholic Mallory (Justine Bateman, Satisfaction),
strong-willed Jennifer (Tina Yothers, Shoot the Moon), and young Andrew
(Brian Bonsall, Blank Check). As the 1980s creep to a close the Keaton
clan must contend with all new challenges, including Steven and Elyse's decision
on how to celebrate their 20th anniversary, a new romance for Alex after his
tumultuous breakup with his long term girlfriend, and Mallory's continuing
romance with thickheaded Nick (Scott Valentine, My Demon Lover). It's
twenty seven episodes of love, laughter, and the ties that bind!

Television sure has changed in the last twenty five years, hasn't it? Blame
it on shifting tastes, entertainment evolution, or just good old fashioned burn
out of specific styles, but in the past two decades or so, television got itself
a whole lot grittier, raunchier, and meaner. I'm not saying that's always a bad
thing; one of the things TV programming is often doing right now is telling
quality stories that engross and make us think. Yet when it comes to sitcoms, it
seems like there's a softness missing. Characters on today's shows are often
snarky, mean spirited, or wholly unlikable. What happened to family values?
Family morals? Family Ties?

That's where the Keaton family comes in. Family Ties is a show that
tried to find love and gentleness in being a family, all the while avoiding
(most of the time) the sugary veneer that can sometimes bog down sitcoms,
especially from the decade of decadence. The show was the brainchild of Gary
David Goldberg, who also created the short lived Brooklyn Bridge and
Michael J. Fox's second sitcom stint, the '90s staple Spin City. The
theme running throughout Family Ties -- a couple of ex-hippie parents
raising three kids in the suburbs, one of which is a staunch conservative -- is
something a lot of families can relate to. Not the political aspects,
necessarily, but the idea that even a close knit family like the Keatons are
going to encounter difficulties no matter how much they love each other.

I hadn't seen an episode of Family Ties in a long, long time.
It speaks to the quality of the show that even though it had been many years
(perhaps decades), it was still fresh in my mind and quite like revisiting an
old friend where the conversation picks up right where it left off. Each
character is so well written that their personalities are still etched in my
mind. Of course, Michael J. Fox eventually became the center of the show, and as
always he displays impeccable timing even after six years in Alex P. Keaton's
skin. To Fox's credit, the talented actor could have easily gone on to something
bigger and better (by the sixth season of the show he'd already had the hit
Back to the Future under his belt), but the actor was loyal to Goldberg
and stayed on until the show's finale in 1989. Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter
Birney are exceptional as the loving and sometimes exasperated Keaton parents;
both actors display a dry wit that grounds the show while their chaotic kids
swirl around them. The rest of the Keaton kids -- including Justine Bateman's
ditzy Mallory, Tina Yothers teenage Jennifer, and Brian Bonsall's young
Alex-in-training Andrew -- are all good in their roles, if sometimes second
banana to Fox, Gross, and Birney. For extra added fun there are many familiar
faces that got their start guest starring on Family Ties -- comedian
Robert Klein, Jay Thomas (Cheers), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of
Summer), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld), and Campbell Scott (Big
Night) all pop up in amusing cameo roles.

Family Ties: The Complete Sixth Season finds humor in every day
situations, and often ends with a moral that never feels overly preachy. In one
episode Mallory becomes a "Dear Abby" column writer (for a free coupon clipping
magazine, no less) and makes the disastrous mistake of offering up her home
address in print, culminating with Mallory dishing out advice that doesn't pan
out...in person. Another episode features Alex signing up for a female
psychology student's research study (future Friends star Courtney Cox)
whom he falls head over heels for (after bumping heads first, natch). Most of
the episodes are of the fluffy variety, and whatever seriousness can be mined is
usually handled lightly, like when Mallory writers a book report on a banned
book which escalates to the high courts. Although none of the episodes offer up
hard-hitting social commentary, I liked that the show still feels substantial.
Although a few dire topics creep into the mix (including suicide), no one walks
away from the show with a frown on their face.

Each episode is presented in its original standard def full frame aspect
ratio and, while not perfect, they certainly look good for their age. Defects
and imperfections are kept to a minimum while the colors (oh, those '80s
fashions!) are evenly saturated with the dark black levels. Each audio track is
presented in Dolby 2.0 Stereo in English. Since Family Ties was produced
in the 1980s, these tracks lack any real excitement or fidelity; they're most
front heavy without much dynamic range. Dialogue, music, and sound effects are
all easily distinguishable and well heard. Also included on this disc are
English subtitles. There are no bonus features.

Though I can't really recall what happened during Seasons 1-5, Family
Ties: The Complete Sixth Season was very easy to jump into. Slightly dated
by today's standards (the make-up department must have gone through gallons of
hairspray), the show features smart and funny performances, stories that make
you feel good without pandering, and a theme song that'll be stuck in your head
weeks.

The Verdict

A must-own for those collecting vintage '80s TV, and an easy recommendation
for anyone who likes to laugh.